City-County Building
Common Council

Week of April 6, 2026

posted 

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this message finds you well. I want to begin by apologizing for missing last week's update. I was away on a spring break trip with my family. I hope many of you also had the opportunity to enjoy time with loved ones and recharge.

I also want to wish everyone celebrating a very happy and peaceful Easter. May this season bring renewal, joy, and time with family and community.

As we return to our regular schedule, there are several important updates, meetings, and community opportunities to share for the week ahead.

🌿 Spring Cleanup: Brush Collection Season Has Started

The 2026 brush collection season is now underway in Madison.

Since collection dates vary by neighborhood, it is important to:

  • Check your set-out date before placing brush at the curb
  • Enter your address on the City's brush collection website to find your schedule
  • Set out brush on your assigned date, with pickup occurring during the following work week

What Counts as Brush?

  • Sticks, limbs, and branches
  • Between 18 inches and 8 feet long
  • Less than 8 inches in diameter

How to Set Out Brush

  • Place on the terrace (not street or sidewalk)
  • Keep at least 4 feet away from obstacles
  • Do not bag or containerize
  • Stack neatly with cut ends facing one direction

Collected brush is turned into mulch, supporting sustainability efforts across the City.

🗳️ Spring Election – April 7, 2026

The Spring Election is taking place on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

I encourage all eligible residents to make a plan to vote and participate in this important civic process.

🚗 “20 is Plenty" Free Yard Signs Available

The City of Madison's “20 is Plenty" initiative is now rolling out across neighborhoods, lowering residential speed limits to 20 mph to improve safety for everyone, especially pedestrians and cyclists.

This program is part of our broader Vision Zero efforts to reduce serious crashes and create safer, more livable neighborhoods. Many of you have shared concerns about speeding on residential streets, and this is one of the key steps we're taking to address it.

To help spread awareness, free “20 is Plenty" yard signs are available in multiple languages for residents.

👉 If you're interested in getting a yard sign, please reach out to me directly. I'm happy to personally drop one off at your doorstep.

20 is plenty - slower is safer
Image credit: City of Madison

Together, small actions like these can make a big difference in improving safety across our community.

🏛️ Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

📣 Public Information Meetings

  • Virtual Public Meeting to Discuss Draft Pedestrian Plan, Tuesday, April 7: A public information meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7 at 6:00pm to discuss the Draft Pedestrian Plan. The meeting will include an overview of the planning process, key recommendations in the plan, a description of how the public can comment on the plan, and time for questions and answers. 
  • West Towne Shared-Use Path – Phase 2b, Thursday, April 9: The proposed project is a key segment for completion of the West Towne Shared-Use Path, which provides a safe, shared-use path facility for the growing west-side of Madison that connects the local area as well as a larger connection to regional paths in the Madison-area. A public information meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., April 9, 2026. Registration prior is required. 

🌎 Planning, Sustainability & Community Initiatives

Meeting to Discuss Madison Pedestrian Plan

The City of Madison is updating its Pedestrian Plan for the first time in nearly three decades! The new plan will provide policy and programmatic recommendations to improve safety, comfort, and accessibility for people walking in Madison.

The City is hosting a virtual Public Information Meeting to provide an overview of the planning process, key recommendations in the plan, a description of how the public can comment on the plan, and time for questions and answers. The draft plan document will be posted online prior to the meeting. 

The meeting is Tuesday, April 7, 2026, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm on Zoom. Registration is required for the meeting. Learn more on the Pedestrian Plan webpage

Spring Roll Challenge
Image credit: Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization

The RoundTrip Spring Roll Challenge is celebrating sustainable choices for everyday trips this Earth Month! The challenge is free and open to everyone ages 18+ in Dane County. This year's goal is to reach 10,000 green trips for Earth Month. To participate, register with RoundTrip and log your eligible trips by bike, bus, carpool, walking & rolling all month for chances to win weekly and grand prize drawings. Prize sponsors include Ian's Pizza, Willy Street Co-op, Forage Kitchen, Madison BCycle, and The Soap Opera.

RoundTrip is a free public program of the Greater Madison MPO that connects individuals & employers in Dane County with convenient alternatives to driving alone.

Last weekend for Madison Madness - Envision Downtown Survey

This year's Madison Madness bracket focuses on Madison's downtown as part of " Envision Downtown Madison" the City of Madison's strategic partnership with Downtown Madison, Inc. 

The Madison Madness survey is open until April 6, 2026, and city staff will post a results summary on the Downtown Area Plan webpage after compiling the data.  Para Espanol Haga Click Aqui.

Make Music Madison 2026 

Get ready for Make Music Madison 2026! Registration is pen  invite musicians, neighbors, and community groups to be part of this citywide celebration of music.

Whether you're interested in performing or hosting an event in your neighborhood, now is the time to get involved. If you'd like support or want to invite a representative to speak with your group about how to host an event, please email info@makemusicmadison.com

Earth Day Challenge 2026

Celebrate Earth Day with your neighbors and friends by volunteering to clean up your local park! Join this community-wide volunteer effort to help make a difference. Accept the Earth Day Challenge with Madison Parks! We are seeking 900 volunteers at 60+ parks, located throughout the city to assist with trash pickup, raking, trail clearing, and invasive plant removal. We supply gloves, garbage bags and rakes. Rakes at each park will be based on the number of volunteers registered. 

DATE: Saturday, April 25, 2026
TIME: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
LOCATIONS: Parks throughout the city

Online Registration to Volunteer is:  Here

📰 Announcements and News

🎉 Community Events

  • Wisconsin Virtual TB Summit, Tuesday, April 7: Join local, state, and national tuberculosis experts as they share their work to understand and improve care for people diagnosed with TB in our community. 
  • MSCR & Madison Parks Hiring Fair, Thursday, April 9: Madison Parks and MSCR are hiring seasonal staff in aquatics, maintenance, conservation and more! Attend a Hiring Fair at Parks Lakeside Offices and apply and interview onsite! Make this a summer to remember! 
  • Wright Design Series - The Wright Revival: Madison's Rediscovery of Frank Lloyd Wright, Thursday, April 9: This Zoom webinar will be presented by Anna Andrzejewski is the Frank Lloyd Wright Professor of Modern American Architecture at the Department of Art History at University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She teaches courses in the history of American art, architecture and material culture.
  • Spring Home Maintenance, Thursday, April 9: Ready to tackle spring home maintenance like a pro? Our engaging course will empower you to confidently care for your home, inside and out! Learn essential skills, from maximizing your HVAC system efficiency and troubleshooting sump pump woes to prepping your roof and gutters for spring showers and revitalizing your outdoor spaces.
  • Warner Family Fun Night, Friday, April 10: Join us at WPCRC for Warner Family Fun Night! Families can create art projects, play in the gym, watch a movie or win some prizes playing bingo! 
  • Free Homebuyer Education Class (in person), Saturday, April 11: Take the first step to owning a home and join us in this Home Buyer Education Workshop. This FREE Homebuyer Education workshop takes place in-person at the Southwest Madison Employment Center, 1233 McKenna Blvd, Madison, WI 53719 on Saturday, April 11, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm! Lunch will be provided.
  • Bird & Nature Adventures | Owen, Saturday, April 11: Pasture to Prairie History Walk ~ Join retired Madison Parks Conservation Manager Si Widstrand and Naturalist Eva Roos for a free guided nature walk to see farm fields and pastures that have been restored to native prairies and learn about their human and ecological history.  

  • Bird & Nature Adventures | Turville Point, Sunday, April 12: Looking for Spring Ephemerals ~ Join Naturalist Jeff Nesta as we look for Trilliums and other beautiful early Spring Ephemeral wildflowers that take advantage of available sunlight before trees and bushes fully leaf out.  

    Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.

🚧 Looking Ahead

As we move further into spring, we'll continue to see increased construction activity, community engagement opportunities, and sustainability initiatives across the city.

I will continue sharing updates specific to District 7 in the weeks ahead.

Stay Connected

Thank you for staying engaged and involved in District 7. Your participation and feedback help shape our community.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or ideas.

Warm regards,
Badri Lankella
Alder, District 7
City of Madison

Was this page helpful to you? * required
Portrait of Alder Badri Lankella

Alder Badri Lankella

District 7
Contact Alder Lankella

Categories